Cleaning machine



ocr. 21, 1941.

CLEANING MACHINE Filed Aug.' 16, 1940 fig. Z

J. w. wATkls 2,259,597 n vnear the opposite end of the frame.

Patented Oct. 21, 1941 n t 1E. D sTATfEs Aelem EN T OFFICE CLEANINGMACHINE John W. Watkins, Woodlawn, Ill.

Application August 16, 1940, Serial No. 352,955

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an improved cleaning machine which is moreparticularly adapted for use for cleaning trays of the type used inhatcheries.

One object of the invention is to provide a cleaning machine employingwire brushes, said brushes having relatively long bristles or spinesassuring the effective cleaning of the entire surface of an incubatortray or the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of thischaracter wherein the brushes employed will reciprocate alternately withrespect to each other with the result that a tray to be cleaned may beeasily held against the brushes during the cleaning operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cleaning machine whichis characterized by the utmost simplicity of construction.

Still further objects of the invention, not specifically mentionedhereinbefore, will become apparent during the course of the followingdescription.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved cleaning machine,

Figure 2 is an end view of said machine,

Figure 3 is a detail perspective view showing the brushes as they wouldappear in engagement with a tray of the type employed in hatcheries, and

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view showing the connection between thecrank shaft and the brush operating levers.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, wherein like numerals ofreference will be seen to designate like parts throughout the variousviews, the numeral I indicates in general the frame of my improvedcleaning machine. The frame I includes corner posts or legs 2,preferably four in number, which are connected at their correspondingupper ends by side bars 3 and end bars 4. The frame I carries a baseplate 5 which is horizontally disposed and is mounted near thecorresponding lower ends of the corner posts, said base plate having itscorners connected to said corner posts. Mounted on the base plate 5 is amotor 6, the purpose for which will be clearly explained hereinafter.

Extending across one end of the frame, between two of the e'nd cornerposts 2, is a cross bar 1, said cross bar having connected thereto thecorresponding lower ends of supporting bars 8 and 9, the correspondingupper ends of said bars 8 and 9 being connectedl to the side bars 3 Asseen in Figure 1, the supporting bars 8 and 9 extend substantiallydiagonally with respect to the frame I.

The side bars 8 and 9, near their corresponding mid portions, carryhorizontally alined bearings I0, said bearings being held in place onthe bars by U-bolts II. Extending transversely of the frame and havingopposite ends journaled in the bearings Il] is a crank shaft I2, saidcrank shaft having cranks I3 and I4, each of which is provided with ajournal I5. The crank shaft I2 carries a relatively large pulley I6 atone end, and said pulley is operatively connected with a relativelysmall pulley II on the motor 6 by means of a belt I8.

Medially of the lengths of the side bars 3 are mounted bearings I9, saidbearings being held in place on the side bars by U-bolts 20. Thebearings I9 support the opposite ends of a rock shaft 2|, said rockshaft, of course, extending transversely of the frame between the bars3.

Mounted to rock on the rock shaft 2| are operating levers 22, saidoperating levers having enlarged mid portions defining bearings 23 whichbearings receive the rock shaft 2I therethrough. The operating levershave bifurcated lower ends 24 which are connected with bearing sleeves25, said bearing sleeves being formed on the corresponding outer ends ofconnecting rods 2S, said connecting rods each having split bearings 2'Iwhich are operatively connected with the journals I5. Carried on thecorresponding upper ends of the operating levers are brushes 28, each ofsaid brushes having a base 29 and a plurality of relatively long wirebristles or spines 30.

In order to retain the levers 22 in proper spaced relation on the rockshaft 2|, I provide a spacer sleeve 3|.

'I'he operation of the invention will now be set forth. When it isdesired to clean a tray of the type used in hatcheries, a tray of suchnature being shown at 32, it is only necessary to start the motor 6, andhold the bottom of the tray against the bristles 30 of the brushes 28for effectually cleaning said tray bottom. It should be understood thattrays vary in size from twelve inches by thirty inches to thirteeninches by thirty-six inches. It should also be understood that mycleaning machine may be employed for cleaning trays of any size, shapeor description. It is desired to point out that the crank shaft impartsalternate reciprocating movement to the operating levers so that thebrushes will move alternately. The result of this will be that thoroughcleaning will be assured without exerting excessive pulling strains onthe tray, which strains would make said tray hard to hold. My cleaningmachine is characterized by the utmost simplicity of construction andwould be capable of use over a long period of time without repair.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A cleaning machine including a frame having corner posts and side bars,supporting bars extending obliquely between certain of the corner postsand the side bars, a base plate, a motor on the base plate, a rock shaftextending between the side bars, a crank shaft extending between thesupporting bars, operating levers shiftably mounted on the rock shaft,brushes on the operating levers, connecting rods operatively connectingthe operating levers with the crank shaft, a pulley on the crank shaft,and a belt operatively connecting the pulley with the motor, the crankshaft being rotatable by the motor and being operative for impartingreciprocative movement to the operating levers for reciprocating thebrushes for effecting a cleaning operation.

JOHN W. WATKINS.

